Aims

This module aims:
- To explore a wide range of intersectional theories and approaches that are used within media and cultural studies
- To develop a critical understanding of intersectional methodologies and how they can be productively and reflexively applied to media and cultural studies
- To consider the origins of different intersectional approaches in a social justice-based framework and examine the usefulness of these approaches for contemporary media and cultural activism
- To demonstrate the relevance and importance of using intersectional perspectives and methods in media and cultural sector work

Outline Of Syllabus

The module will draw on a range of theoretical perspectives to explore the ways in which intersectional and intersecting perspectives, identities, experiences and approaches are embedded in the work of media and cultural studies. We will draw from a wide range of disciplines, including media and cultural studies, sociology, geography, film and heritage studies. Topics that we may look at could include:

- Black feminism and intersectionality
- Critical Race and Decolonial studies
- Feminist studies
- Critical Disability Studies
- Queer Studies
- Critical Fat Studies
- Cultures of Protest
- Digital Activism
- Trans Studies
- Class
- Conflict studies
- Environmental Justice

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lectures: On-campus scheduled learning to introduce students to the key theories, concepts and methodological approaches relating to intersectionality.

Seminars: These provide students students with the opportunities to discuss key issues, theories, concepts and methods presented each week, using their own reading and media examples to better understand how to apply theory to their chosen examples.

Workshops: Workshops are used to teach students key skills they might need in the development of their creative portfolios and to give them dedicated time during the teaching term to work on assessment pieces and receive feedback and guidance from a member of staff. These have been included in addition to their 22 hours of lecture and 9 hours of seminars in order to ensure technical skills for the portfolio are taught without comprimising on the delivery of core content for the module.

Assessment preparation and completion: This category enables students to complete their assessments.

Guided independent study: This broad category refers to independent student activity and covers the range from reading and preparation through to situations where students are required to work without staff supervision or where students are required to undertake very specific pieces of work.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The assessments in this module allow students to explore themes and ideas from this module in a creative, critical and applied way.

The formative assessment is a storyboard or plan of the student's final creative portfolio. It is designed in order to get students thinking about their final assessment in advance of the deadline and to allow them to get verbal feedback and additional technical advice (as required) on their plans.

Assessment 1 (the creative portfolio) encourages students to think about the practical application of intersectional approaches by asking them to use approaches and ideas raised in the module to develop a campaign/creative output that responds to a ‘real world’ social justice topic.

Assessment 2 (the reflective essay) asks students to evaluate that output and explain the creative choices they made utilising appropriate theories and ideas from the module and analysing the usefulness and limitations of their output as a means of tackling a key social-cultural or social justice based issue.